Investigation of the potential of rice husk-based power plants and a pre-feasibility assessment of possible power plants in the An Giang province, Vietnam

Biomass currently covers approximately 10% of the global energy supply. Rice husk is an
agricultural biowaste having potential for power generation. In the An Giang Province, an
important location for rice production in the Mekong Delta region in Vietnam, there is a high
possibility for thermal power plants using rice husk. However, their feasibility in term of
technology, socio-economy, and environmental benefits, needs to be investigated thoroughly.
This study aims at (1) providing information of the current status of rice husk-related issues
(e.g., logistics, market and price, current uses) in An Giang, (2) investigating the reasons why
a rice husk-based power plant built in another location failed to generate electricity, and (3)
producing a pre-feasibility assessment of two possible power plants owned by two selected
rice mills which are likely to be constructed at their sites in the future.
To answer these questions, a field trip was carried out in Vietnam for 7 weeks. 38 rice mills
in An Gang were interviewed to obtain current status of rice husk at the local business level.
Questionnaires and interviews with experts from the Institute of Energy in Vietnam, the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources in An Giang, representative sof the
Vietnam Electricity (the state-owned company, EVN), and the unsuccessful power plant
fueled by rice husk in Can Tho Province were conducted. Site observations were also part of
the investigation at the mills and the power plant. In addition, four rice mills were surveyed in
detail, to prepare for a pre-feasibility study for two selected plants. The collected data was
processed by using data analysis and pre-feasibility assessment methods.
The results show that the current status of rice husk in An Giang reflects changes in several
areas such as markets and policy in recent years in Vietnam. Rice husk has become a traded
commodity producing profits to its rice mills and is used as fuel for drying systems or sold as
raw material or in the form of briquettes, thus it is not wasted. Rice husk-based power plants
may be more suitable at bigger scale rice mills. The investigation shows that low profit is the
main cause of the failure of the unsuccessful power plant identified in Can Tho.
The pre-feasibility assessment shows that most profitable solution for the studied rice huskbased
power plants is that they are scaled to satisfy the energy demand of their own rice mill,
and not to sell excess power to the grid. It is also discussed that combusion technology is
most suitable to both studied power plants, with capacities of 670 kW and 580 kW,
respectively. Carbon credits contribute only a minor share of the power plant's profitability.

Länka till denna publikation

Dela på webben

Skapa referens, olika format (klipp och klistra)

HarvardNguyen, T. (2014) Investigation of the potential of rice husk-based power plants and a pre-feasibility assessment of possible power plants in the An Giang province, Vietnam. Göteborg : Chalmers University of Technology

BibTeX @misc{Nguyen2014,author={Nguyen, Thu Trang},title={Investigation of the potential of rice husk-based power plants and a pre-feasibility assessment of possible power plants in the An Giang province, Vietnam},abstract={Biomass currently covers approximately 10% of the global energy supply. Rice husk is an
agricultural biowaste having potential for power generation. In the An Giang Province, an
important location for rice production in the Mekong Delta region in Vietnam, there is a high
possibility for thermal power plants using rice husk. However, their feasibility in term of
technology, socio-economy, and environmental benefits, needs to be investigated thoroughly.
This study aims at (1) providing information of the current status of rice husk-related issues
(e.g., logistics, market and price, current uses) in An Giang, (2) investigating the reasons why
a rice husk-based power plant built in another location failed to generate electricity, and (3)
producing a pre-feasibility assessment of two possible power plants owned by two selected
rice mills which are likely to be constructed at their sites in the future.
To answer these questions, a field trip was carried out in Vietnam for 7 weeks. 38 rice mills
in An Gang were interviewed to obtain current status of rice husk at the local business level.
Questionnaires and interviews with experts from the Institute of Energy in Vietnam, the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources in An Giang, representative sof the
Vietnam Electricity (the state-owned company, EVN), and the unsuccessful power plant
fueled by rice husk in Can Tho Province were conducted. Site observations were also part of
the investigation at the mills and the power plant. In addition, four rice mills were surveyed in
detail, to prepare for a pre-feasibility study for two selected plants. The collected data was
processed by using data analysis and pre-feasibility assessment methods.
The results show that the current status of rice husk in An Giang reflects changes in several
areas such as markets and policy in recent years in Vietnam. Rice husk has become a traded
commodity producing profits to its rice mills and is used as fuel for drying systems or sold as
raw material or in the form of briquettes, thus it is not wasted. Rice husk-based power plants
may be more suitable at bigger scale rice mills. The investigation shows that low profit is the
main cause of the failure of the unsuccessful power plant identified in Can Tho.
The pre-feasibility assessment shows that most profitable solution for the studied rice huskbased
power plants is that they are scaled to satisfy the energy demand of their own rice mill,
and not to sell excess power to the grid. It is also discussed that combusion technology is
most suitable to both studied power plants, with capacities of 670 kW and 580 kW,
respectively. Carbon credits contribute only a minor share of the power plant's profitability.},publisher={Institutionen för energi och miljö, Energiteknik, Chalmers tekniska högskola,},place={Göteborg},year={2014},note={79},}

RefWorks RT GenericSR ElectronicID 209248A1 Nguyen, Thu TrangT1 Investigation of the potential of rice husk-based power plants and a pre-feasibility assessment of possible power plants in the An Giang province, VietnamYR 2014AB Biomass currently covers approximately 10% of the global energy supply. Rice husk is an
agricultural biowaste having potential for power generation. In the An Giang Province, an
important location for rice production in the Mekong Delta region in Vietnam, there is a high
possibility for thermal power plants using rice husk. However, their feasibility in term of
technology, socio-economy, and environmental benefits, needs to be investigated thoroughly.
This study aims at (1) providing information of the current status of rice husk-related issues
(e.g., logistics, market and price, current uses) in An Giang, (2) investigating the reasons why
a rice husk-based power plant built in another location failed to generate electricity, and (3)
producing a pre-feasibility assessment of two possible power plants owned by two selected
rice mills which are likely to be constructed at their sites in the future.
To answer these questions, a field trip was carried out in Vietnam for 7 weeks. 38 rice mills
in An Gang were interviewed to obtain current status of rice husk at the local business level.
Questionnaires and interviews with experts from the Institute of Energy in Vietnam, the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources in An Giang, representative sof the
Vietnam Electricity (the state-owned company, EVN), and the unsuccessful power plant
fueled by rice husk in Can Tho Province were conducted. Site observations were also part of
the investigation at the mills and the power plant. In addition, four rice mills were surveyed in
detail, to prepare for a pre-feasibility study for two selected plants. The collected data was
processed by using data analysis and pre-feasibility assessment methods.
The results show that the current status of rice husk in An Giang reflects changes in several
areas such as markets and policy in recent years in Vietnam. Rice husk has become a traded
commodity producing profits to its rice mills and is used as fuel for drying systems or sold as
raw material or in the form of briquettes, thus it is not wasted. Rice husk-based power plants
may be more suitable at bigger scale rice mills. The investigation shows that low profit is the
main cause of the failure of the unsuccessful power plant identified in Can Tho.
The pre-feasibility assessment shows that most profitable solution for the studied rice huskbased
power plants is that they are scaled to satisfy the energy demand of their own rice mill,
and not to sell excess power to the grid. It is also discussed that combusion technology is
most suitable to both studied power plants, with capacities of 670 kW and 580 kW,
respectively. Carbon credits contribute only a minor share of the power plant's profitability.PB Institutionen för energi och miljö, Energiteknik, Chalmers tekniska högskola,LA engLK http://publications.lib.chalmers.se/records/fulltext/209248/209248.pdfOL 30